Under My Skin
by xMYxDAYDREAMx
Summary: CONTAINS SPOILERS......this is based on some spoilers about episodes due to be shown on the 2nd3rd of May.....EmmaMattWill...hope you enjoy and review
1. Keep Holding On

**This is my newest fic...It's my ideas on the last episode spoilers which are about the episodes due to be shown in the U.K. on the 2nd and 3rd of May. This is probably not what happens but it's just some little ideas of mine that I'm dying to get out...the fic is gonna be several chapters long and the title and the chapters are named after different Avril Lavigne songs and albums...some of her song lyrics also feature cause when I began writing this I was listening to her new album. I hope you enjoy this and any reviews would be greatly appreciated. XXPipXX**

**Keep Holding On**

"Matthew Hinckley" Will whispered to himself as he typed the name into crimint. His eyes scanned over the little information that was there. They widened as he read a passage about a girl called Nina Lloyd. She had been suspected of being abused by fiancé Matthew but denied all claims and no further action was taken.

"Nina?" Will said quietly. Shit! Nina, that was the girl that Matt had been engaged to but he told Emma she had died in a car crash. He hesitated slightly before clicking on the hyperlink surround Nina's name. He scanned the page as quickly as he had done with Matt's and found no record of death! He thought this was pretty strange and alarm bells went off in his mind forcing him to jot down her address.

He got shakily to his feet, sure he was onto something big. Looking at the clock he found that he still had 20 minutes left of his lunch break so he left a message on Dan's phone and headed out to his car.

As Nina opened the door he felt his voice tighten. She had a huge scar which ran across on cheek. Standing timidly behind the chain she reluctantly let Will in after seeing his warrant card.

"Miss Lloyd." Will said following her through to the kitchen. "Do you know a Matt Hinckley?" He smiled reassuringly as she nodded tearfully, "I'm a close friend of his wife Emma and I'm quite worried about her."

"So you should be." She said relaxing into a chair opposite Will. "I…I was going to be getting married to him but…but then he did this to me." She said stumbling over her words and pointing at her scarred cheek.

"You think Emma could be in danger?" He asked sounding increasingly more worried.

"Yeah, unless leopards can change their spots." She said tucking her hair behind her ear and looking at Will. "What's Emma like?" She asked curiously.

"Fantastic, well she used to be. She was one of the sweetest and funniest girls I've ever met. She's one hell of a copper too, and ever so popular. It's just now…she's quiet and shy and she never comes out with us any more. A lot of us are worried about her but she just says she's fine." Will replied getting slightly teary at the end.

"Promise me you'll be there for her." Nina said and Will looked up slightly startled. "If she is being abused then the only thing she'll be wanting is to confide is someone. Someone who'll tell her that everything will be just fine and hold her when she cries." Nina continued crying herself.

Will moved over to her and brushed the tears from her eyes while putting his other arm round her shoulders comfortingly. "I can be here for you too." He whispered gently making her smile through the tears. "I promise I'll be back to see you some time and we'll go out and do something fun, yeah." He said giving her shoulder one last squeeze.

Back at the station he apologised profusely to Dan before joining him at the custody desk. When the shift ended he spotted Emma further along the corridor and called out to her. Catching her up he motioned towards the empty interview room next to them and she followed him inside.

"Matt's lying to you Em." He said leaning against the wall.

"Will, please don't get involved." Emma said quietly swinging her legs back and forth as she sat on the table.

"Nina's alive." He said watching her closely.

"Wh…what? She…she can't be she died in a car crash 5 years ago. M…Matt told me she died, he was distraught. They were engaged…he loved her." She said trying to reason with herself.

"Come, I'll show you." He said offering her his hand which she declined. Following him out to the car she fought hard to keep the hurt from showing on her face. Resting her head against the cool glass of the car window she looked up at Nina's house and took a deep breath.

"Will!" Nina said letting him into the house before turning to face Emma. "You must be Matt's new wife Emma." She said looking closely at her but immediately seeing past Emma's calm and in-control appearance. She could see the hurt in her eyes and the faint bruising on her arms and chest. Emma nodded and followed her and Will through to the lounge.

"M…Matt told me you died." She said stuttering slightly. "He said you were a brilliant person, really gorgeous and intelligent. I can see he's not wrong. I never felt like I could live up to you so I just tried to make Matt happy in whatever way I could." She continued shaking slightly at the thought of what she was saying.

Nina breathed in sharply, she thought that Matt's abuse had ended when she left. In truth he had just transferred all of his "methods" onto Emma. She could see right into Emma's mind because she saw herself sitting there not this other abused woman.

"He used to abuse me. Not just physically, he was controlling. He told me I was fat and ugly and that none of my friends…" Nina began before she was interrupted by Emma.

"…none of my friends liked me. That I was terrible at my job, he always has excuses for why I shouldn't go out and he gets violent when he's been drinking." She finished off for Nina. It all sounded too familiar, she couldn't believe that Matt had put another woman through what she was having trouble coping with.

Both girls burst into tears and fell into each others arms sobbing quietly. Emma stroked Nina's hair and Nina rubbed her back comfortingly. "What did I do wrong?" Emma said tearfully.

"Nothing honey. It's nothing to do with us. If it wasn't us it would just be someone else…it's his problem." Nina said wiping away Emma's tears with her thumb. "You have to be strong and finish it. You're better off without him babe. Any time…I mean any time you want to talk then I'll be here, okay?" She said helping Emma to her feet.

Emma nodded and grabbed onto Will for support. This was all too much to take in. He gently hugged Nina before steering her back to the car and settling her in the passenger seat. Before she knew it the car had stopped and she was looking up her front drive. She turned to Will and kissed his cheek in thanks before getting out of the car.

"Em…what you gonna do?" He asked her grabbing her hand.

"I'm taking Nina's advice, I'm getting out while I still can." She said before making her way towards the front door. She waved and stepped inside taking in the familiar smells for what could be the last time.

**You're not alone  
Together we stand  
I'll be by your side  
You know I'll take your hand  
**


	2. Best Damn Thing

**This is for the people who reviewed my first chapter...there will be a few more after this as I want to get it written and online asap...enjoy! and please please please review cause I want to know what you think aobut it...is it crap? Is it good? Please just hit the blue button and make a girly very happy :D**

Emma climbed the stairs slowly, pausing at the top before entering her and Matt's bedroom. She reached the wardrobe and slid the doors across noiselessly. She reached in and pulled out two suitcases and a large offshore bag. Setting these down on the bed, she turned her attention back to the cupboard and began putting her clothes and shoes into the cases.

When she had finished with the wardrobe she drew out some cardboard boxes and went downstairs and began putting away her DVDs, photo albums and books. She looked around her, quite surprised at how much stuff she owned. She sighed, this was it, and made her way upstairs to fetch her bags. Grabbing a photo frame from the bedside table she looked at it and smiled happily before turning around and dropping it on the floor when she heard someone at the door.

"What's going on here then, eh?" Matt said slurring his words slightly.

"I'm…I'm leaving Matt. I've had enough of this, of you and your abuse." She said trying to stay calm.

"Abuse! Leaving! I'll show you abuse you stupid whore." He yelled angrily moving towards her.

"Have you been drinking?" Emma asked before dragging her bags down the stairs. She didn't really need confirmation of this as there was a ¾ full bottle of vodka lying on the coffee table in the lounge.

Making her way towards the front door, she found Matt blocking her path. "Why are you doing this?" She asked quietly trying to avoid his gaze.

"I could ask you the same thing." He replied advancing upon her.

"I…I know about Nina. How she didn't die in a car crash. You…you pushed her so much that she had no choice but to leave you. If I don't leave then I'll end up like her, too scared to answer the phone, too scared of you." She said trying to back away from him.

"Oh but you won't get away from me. I won't let you go, you stupid tart." He screamed shoving her backwards into a large bookcase.

The case wobbled and books started to cascade off the shelves, hitting Emma on the way down. She lay under the growing pi8le of books, struggling fiercely to get up. Eventually she managed to free herself but she screamed out as she felt Matt stand on her ankle.

He dragged her across the floor by her t-shirt and pinned her down by sitting astride her and forcing her wrists to the floor. He used his one free hand to swing at her face, leaving blow after blow.

"Matt…please Matt." Emma whimpered as her tears mixed with the blood running down her face. She felt him reach for the zip on her jeans and mustered all her remaining strength to free her left arm. Doing this distracted Matt long enough for her to grab the nearby vodka bottle which she sent crashing down on his head.

Matt fell to the floor with a sickening thump as the vodka bottle smashed over his head leaving tiny fragments of glass all over the living room floor. Emma got shakily to her knees and somehow managed to keep it together long enough to dial for an ambulance. Kneeling by the coffee table she tried to stand but found the ankle Matt had stepped on wouldn't hold any weight. She looked back over to where her lifeless husband lay on the floor. Shaking violently she backed herself into a corner of the room and put her head in her hands sobbing softly. How had it got this bad?

Will barged the door with his shoulder and ran into the house followed by Smithy who was in hot pursuit. They checked the other rooms downstairs before Will heard a noise coming from the living room and went to investigate. He stood in the doorway surveying the scene before calling Smithy in behind him.

"Jesus!" Smithy exclaimed as he took in the sight of Matt out cold on the floor, the toppled bookcase, shards of glass covering every surface and Emma rocking gently back and forth in a corner of the room.

Will stepped forwards to go to Emma but Smithy pulled him back before indicating that Matt was their main priority at that moment.

**I found my hopes, I found my dreams  
My Cinderella story scene**

**Now everybody's gonna see  
That you're not, not, not, gonna get any better  
You won't, won't, won't, you won't get rid of me never**

**Like it or not even though she's a lot like me  
We're not the same**


	3. Take Me Away

**YAY! another chapter up...not all that many to go now...maybe three? Who knows? xxpippaxx**

Will stood up and took a few steps back as Matt was loaded onto a stretcher and carried away by the paramedics. The female medic, who introduced herself as Joanne, told him once they got Emma back to the station that she should be checked over by a doctor. Will nodded mutely before sighing. How had it come to this? He was going to have to arrest his best friend for GBH!

"Emma…Em I'm gonna have to arrest you." She looked up at him pleadingly with tears streaming down her cheeks. "I know. Look I don't want to do it honey, but I've got to." Will looked away because he couldn't bear to see Emma so torn up.

"Can you stand?" He asked pointing to her swollen ankle. Emma shook her head and Will placed one hand on her back and the other at the top of her legs. With one quick movement he lifted her up and hoisted her onto his hip. "Shhh…everything's gonna work out fine." He said stroking her hair soothingly. This only made her cry harder into his shoulder so he stopped talking.

As he reached the car, he opened the door and lowered her gently into the passenger seat. After getting into the driver's side he looked over at her and felt a rush of guilt flood through him.

_Will's POV: _

_How could I have been so stupid? After all we'd found out about Nina, I let her go back to face Matt by herself. If I hadn't left her, then maybe she wouldn't be here. I'm glad I went back to work though. If I hadn't been here then maybe she'd have been treated like a criminal. Emma's not a criminal. Matt's the evil one, but he had the law on his side!_

Will helped Emma, who was gingerly putting the weight on her injured ankle, out of the car. Thankfully her ankle held up so she walked up the ramp with Will tightly hanging onto his hand. He punched in the code and ushered her into custody. Standing in front of Nikki he bit his lip nervously, "Erm…Sarge, Emma Hinckley arrested for GBH."

Nikki looked shocked but soon managed to regain her composure and she began to take down Emma's particulars. "If you'd like to empty your pockets Emma." Nikki said smiling reassuringly at her.

Emma lifted a shaking hand and searched through the pockets of her jeans. She produced her phone, Ipod, car keys and lip balm all of which Nikki placed in a bag and filed. Will then searched Emma before concluding that there was nothing else on her.

"Cell 3's free Will." Nikki said as she chucked him the keys. He nodded and led Emma towards the door. Following her in he sat her down on the bed and gave her a final hug. She continued just to sit there acting as though she couldn't see him and wasn't aware of what was going on.

He stood at the edge of the door and took a last look at his broken best friend. Sadly he turned and left the cell, locking it behind him. Curiosity however overcame him and he peeped in through the hole in the wall and saw her glance quickly at the door before crumpling into a sobbing heap.

The cold, unseeing exterior was all an act. Inside she was screaming, the pain too much to bear. It all came down to her actions, and not matter how much she tried to prove her innocence; it really was beyond her reach to do anything.

Will turned and trudged back into custody where he found Smithy waiting for him.

"How is she?" He asked looking concerned at Will's pale, drawn face.

"Mmmm…not good. She's trying to cope, but as soon as my back was turned she broke down in tears again." He said sadly.

"Well, I spoke to some doctors at the hospital and Matt should be just fine. We'll get someone over there tomorrow to take his statement. Look Will, you should get off home. You look dead on your feet, we need you, Emma needs you on the ball tomorrow!" Smithy said squeezing Will's shoulder before walking towards his office.

_Will's POV:_

_I just sat in my car for a while. I couldn't face going home alone, not yet, not after what I've seen. Emma's been ripped to shreds by that man and who is it who's in the cell! Even before she told me about it, I knew that he was knocking her about. Her whole attitude changed, she went from being a fun-loving cute girl into a tired and shy woman who had zero confidence. I've had to deal with plenty of abuse victims but it's 100 times worse when it's a close friend. I saw the bruises he left on her. She tried to hide them and dismiss any worries people had. It may have fooled some but I knew her too well._

_I started up the car and eventually decided to go home. I lay on my bed fully clothed and remember the last girl I'd slept with. Honey…it still haunts me that if I'd gone with her then she'd probably still be alive. I maybe wouldn't still be with her but I'd have given it a go. I think she knew what my problem was though. Although I really liked Honey, I mean what bloke wouldn't, but I was and am still in love with Emma. I was trying to use Honey to get over Em, but in reality it made me realise I loved her more than I 'd originally thought. _

_I lie there thinking about the last time Emma was in my bed. That was the night she told me about the abuse. How he wouldn't let her answer the phone, let her go out of the house without him and how he'd shout at her for no reason. If she angered him even slightly then he'd lash out and it was a million times worse if he'd been drinking. She couldn't face going home to him after the beating she had received so we spent the night curled up together, fully clothed on my bed watching a movie. I comforted her when she cried and held her while she slept. She needed me and I wanted to make sure I was always there for her._

_Where was I tonight though? Where was I when she needed me most? I can't even start to imaging how she's feeling. _

**All the pain I thought I knew  
All the thoughts lead back to you  
Back to what was never said  
Back and forth inside my head  
I can't handle this confusion  
I'm unable come and take me away**


	4. Anything But Ordinary

Emma's eyes fluttered open. They ached from all the crying she had done the previous night, although it wasn't as painful as the stabbing pains in her stomach. She doubled over and vomited on the cold concrete floor. Shivering she leant against the wall until the nausea overcame her once more.

She got to her feet and wobbled over to the door, supporting herself with the metal bar. "Smithy…?" Emma said softly, beginning to cry. "Smithy, help me." She continued slightly louder through her sobs. "Sm…smithy." She said as she slid down the wall.

Smithy meanwhile was frantically trying to unlock the cell door. Upon hearing Emma's cries he had abandoned Gina and rushed to help. "Emma. Shhh…sweetheart it's alright." He said lifting her back onto the bed. "What's wrong? Why were you sick? Are you pregnant?!" He exclaimed getting more anxious every second.

"NO I'm not pregnant! I…I've got this thing called reflux. It means the…the muscles that control the opening and closing of your stomach don't work properly. It makes you sick at night if you don't take the m…medicine." She replied, her sobbing getting quieter.

"And I take it you didn't have the medicine last night!" He said gesturing to the vomit on the floor.

Emma nodded slightly and even managed a giggle at the look on his face. "There's my girl." He said affectionately ruffling her hair. "Now. I think we should get you that medicine and some clean clothes. Don't you?"

Again Emma nodded and sat curled up on the bed while Smithy went to phone Will and get Emma a bucket! When he returned Emma was leaning over the bed being sick again. He pulled her upright and handed her the plastic bucket, while rubbing her back soothingly.

Meanwhile Will had made his way past the officers stationed at Emma's house and he was unpacking and repacking some of Emma's things. He sat trying to figure out what she'd need and then he tried to find the most comfortable things possible. He made his way through to the bathroom and took some of the medicines from the bathroom cabinet.

Turning them over confusedly he searched and searched until he found the bottle of pills with the label REFLUX (Emma Jennifer Hinckley) on it. Grabbing these and the pink toothbrush and toothpaste which obviously belonged to her, he put them in the bag along with a few other items.

He walked back through into the bedroom and saw one of the forensic team looking at a photo frame which was smashed on the floor. He crouched down next to the girl and joined her staring intently at the picture. A small smile spread across his face, the photo had been taken at the Christmas party a few months ago. It had been a great night for everyone but especially for Emma. Matt had been away on a training course for two weeks and the safety and freedom that this had given her made her once again feel confident. She had been up for the drinking and dancing just like all the other members of the team and the photo showed just this.

Emma was wearing a short green dress with jeans under it. Her hair was loosely curled and a few pieces were pinned back by a butterfly hair slide. She looked gorgeous. Her and Will were dancing in amongst the rest of uniform ad in the corner there was even a shot of Sam and Phil's annual Christmas Party kiss. It apparently happened every year but this time they couldn't deny it as there was photographic proof! The part of the photo however which Will thought was the most special was the way that Emma was cuddled into him while still looking up at him and giggling sweetly. He could only imagine the beating that Emma probably got from Matt when he saw this photo. What would he give to hear her giggle again?

He made his way back to the station and stood watching Emma and Smithy from the door of the cell. "So, the FME says you're fine yeah." Smithy said smiling at her as she nodded. "How long have you had this reflux thing anyway?" He asked her curiously.

"Erm…since I was about eight I think. The doctors said it was probably an underlying condition but the stress of being put into care probably made it flare up again." She said chewing her lip while attempting to recall the details.

"I didn't know you were in care?" Smithy said looking surprised. "What about your dad DCI Keane?"

"My mother always told me that I didn't have a dad but when she died and I was put into care, they traced him for me. We did a paternity test and I am his real daughter." She said smiling.

"What happened after that?" Smithy asked genuinely interested.

"Well, I'd been in the care home for about a year but then Daddy came to get me. I wasn't really that happy in the home. I had one really good friend called Sapphire but well…there was a lot of bulling in the home. I was small and shy so I guess it made me and easy target." She replied shaking her head as though she was trying to banish the bad memories.

Will swore under his breath. How could so much happen to one person? He had thought himself hard done by when his father had forced him into becoming an engineer. He had missed out on the chance of going to Uni and he had felt like the world then owed him a favour. But Emma, how much more was there to her list of bad things. One person didn't deserve all this. Especially not her.

"Dad had moved on with his life after he'd gotten my mum pregnant. He had married and he had two children. He took me out a few times so I could get to know him and then I went to meet his family. Alexa, that's his wife, and I got on really well and the kids were both too young to have an opinion. They both formally became my guardians and I moved in with them. My life got a lot better after that." She finished happily and looked up to see Will standing listening.

"Oh um…hi Will." She said remembering why she was in the cell. Smithy had made her feel so at ease that she'd forgotten about everything that had happened in the last 24 hours.

"You want to come and get cleaned up?" Will asked her smiling gently.

"Yeah that would be great." She said waving to Smithy as Will led her out of the cells and towards the female locker room. He knocked first to make sure no-one was in and then followed Emma inside and sat himself down on the bench.

"I'll wait her for you." He said before passing her the bag with clothes and toiletries in it.

"Thanks Will." She replied, smiling gratefully and taking the bag off him. After she'd stripped off, she chucked her clothes to Will who put them away in the evidence bags.

Fifteen minutes later she appeared from the shower block. She looked refreshed and happier, dressed in a pair of baggy jeans and a FatFace jumper. She walked over to where he was sitting and let him pull her onto his lap for a hug. She snuggled into him and buried her head in his chest. Rocking her gently back and forth he sighed…what if this was the last time he could ever do this? He pushed these thought from his mind. He had to be strong for Emma. She needed him more than ever before.

He took her back through to custody, stopping and getting the bottle of pills from Smithy. He led her to a new cell, as the old one was still being cleaned. "Home, sweet home." Emma said jokingly as she sat down on the bed.

"Here, take these." Will said handing Emma her pills and a glass of water. "Look, babes we're gonna get you out of here. Don't give up. I won't, I promise I won't give up no matter what." He continued as she swallowed the capsules. He kissed her lightly on the cheek and left the cell, heading for Gina's office.

"Ahh…Will come in." She said gesturing to the empty seat before he sat down. "I'll have to get you to write your statement soon." She continued silencing him.

"Ma'am. You know it was self-defence don't you?" Will protested.

"I don't know anything yet Will but what makes you so sure?" She replied looking quizzically at him.

"Well…okay so before now Emma wouldn't have wanted me to say anything but I guess it's gonna come out anyway." Will stopped, looking at Gina who was gesturing impatiently. "Matt's been knocking Emma about!" He finished looking at the floor.

"Well I haven't heard anything about this Will so I can't just go on your word alone. Is there anybody else who knows?" Gina asked him getting to her feet.

"Lewis, I think. Maybe Nikki, she was on duty when it first happened." Will replied walking over to the door.

"Thanks Will. Do you think she's up to answering questions?" Gina asked him.

"With a familiar face yeah but go gently." Will replied heading up to CID.

Gina nodded and made her way back to custody where she took the key for Emma's cell off the wall. She opened the door and stepped inside to see Emma curled up on the bed facing away from her.

"Emma, sweetheart. I need to ask you a few questions." Gina said resting a hand on her shoulder.

Emma turned over and sat up trying to smile but Gina could see from her red-rimmed eyes that she'd been crying.

"Yes Emma. I need to know this. Had Matt been abusing you?" Gina drew breath as she nodded. "How long for?"

"About four months." Emma said tiredly.

"Did you tell anybody?" Gina asked.

"Not at first. Nikki might have guessed but I don't know. I told Lewis about the first time but Will, he knows everything. I went to him when Matt knocked me to the floor for the first time." Emma said nervously chewing her lip.

"Thanks Emma. Look don't worry about this. If it was self-defence the I'm sure it'll be proven as such." Gina said getting up to leave.

"Thanks Gina." Emma said and Gina turned back and scooped her into a hug.

"Any time darling." She replied pulling out of the hug and locking the cell door, leaving Emma all on her own once more.

**Is it enough to love?  
Is it enough to breathe?  
Somebody rip my heart out  
And leave me here to bleed  
Is it enough to die?  
Somebody save my life  
I'd rather be anything but ordinary please.**

**Woooo…it ended up being a heck of a lot longer than I expected…YAY! Only three more chapters to go! XXPIPXX**


	5. Nobody's Fool

I'm here to visit Matthew Hinckley." Gina said flashing her warrant card at the nurse of the front desk.

"Ward 11." The nurse replied barely looking up.

Gina stood in the lift as far away from everyone else as was possible. She followed another nurse's directions and walked over to Matt's bed pulling the curtains aside as she did so.

"Matthew? Hello, yes I'm here to take a verbal statement if you're up to it. As you know if you wish to press charges you will have to make a formal allegation and give a written statement." She said watching Matt's eyes light up as she mentioned pressing charges.

"Emma was in a jealous rage. She saw me talking to a friend on the phone earlier today and when we got home she wouldn't let it drop. She kept asking who she was. She tried to hit me so I restrained her but she got her arm free and hit me over the head with the vodka bottle. Then I woke up in here." Matt said trying his best to look upset.

"So you at no point provoked Emma into hurting you?" Gina said staring hard at him.

"What are you suggesting Inspector? I would never do a thing like that." Matt said widening his eyes.

"Yeah, sure." Gina muttered disbelievingly.

"If that's all the I'd like to get some rest." Matt said trying to get rid of Gina.

"Of course." Gina replied dryly and walked out of the ward without a backward glance.

Gina had only just sat down behind her desk when she heard someone knocking on the door. "Come in." She said tiredly as she saw Nikki and Lewis enter. "Ahh yes I wanted to see you both, it's about Emma. Nikki what do you remember about the day she went home sick?"

"Well ma'am that was the day that Honey's body was found. Emma said that she felt sick and dizzy and she went home before the search." Nikki replied looking quizzically at Gina.

"Do you remember anything about the state she was in when she told you she was going home, was there anybody there?" Gina asked anxiously.

"Yeah…she seemed really shaken up and jumpy. She looked like she was about to burst into tears. I asked if she wanted to see the FME but she practically shouted no and left pretty quickly. As for people…her husband Matt had followed her out of his office, I think they'd been arguing. I didn't say anything though. I mean I didn't think it was really my place." Nikki finished, everything now adding up in her head.

"Lewis. What did Emma say happened?" Gina asked turning to face him.

"She said that she'd told Will she'd be going to the boxing but that Matt had told her they were going to visit his mum. Emma didn't know about this and when she went into Matt's office she saw that he'd cancelled the visit a few weeks before. She phoned his mum and she said she wished he'd told her they were coming before. He came up behind her and started to ask if she was checking up on him. When she said she'd already made plans with Will and Dan and that he'd lied to her, he tried to stop her leaving and started gripping her arm really tightly and shouting at her. He left a bruise and she was a bit shaken up and really low for a few days." Lewis said looking sad as he remembered how distraught Emma was when she was telling him this.

"Okay so your stories fit, all we need now is Emma's statement." Gina said becoming all business-like.

"Err…ma'am Emma's still a suspect for attempted murder, she has to be interviewed by Barton Street." Nikki said uncomfortably as she disturbed Gina's train of thought.

"Oh err yeah. I mean to ask, do you think you can get your hubby and his choice of sensitive and understanding female to come across and interview her." Gina said standing up.

"Already sorted. They got here about 10 minutes ago." Nikki said disappearing through the door. She made her way back through custody and she knocked gently on Emma's cell door before entering. She found her curled up in the middle of the bed with her covers wrapped around her and her thumb in her mouth.

"Emma?" Emma sweetheart wake up." She said shaking her shoulder gently. "Come on, they're ready to interview you. Don't look so worried; it's my husband taking the interview. They're not trying to pin anything on you, we just need to know what happened." Nikki said to a scared looking Emma.

Once Emma was sat down in her chair Sergeant Doug Wright started the tape and introduced himself and PC Louise Benton.

"So Emma, can you please tell me in your own time what happened last night between 7.30 when you left work and 10.15 when PC Fletcher and Sergeant Smithy found your husband out cold on the floor." Doug said gently as he could see from Emma's face that she was terrified.

"Well…erm…Will took me aside just before we left work and he told me that Matt's ex-girlfriend who he had told me had died in a car crash was actually alive. I…I didn't believe him so he took me to see her. She suffered the same abuse from Matt that I have. Will dropped me home and I decided that I couldn't cope with living with Matt any more. I was almost finished packing when he arrived home. I told him I was leaving and he blocked the door so I told him I knew about Nina. He…he got angry and…and pushed me into the bookcase so I fell over and the books fell on top of me. He stood on my ankle and then dragged me across the room by my clothes. We struggled but he sat on me, pinning me down. He started hitting me and then he tried to…to unzi…unzip my jeans. I…I thought he was going to…rape me." Emma finished in a choked up whisper.

"Shhh…it's okay Emma just take your time." Louise said gently, resting a hand on Emma's. She looked up and smiled weakly before continuing.

"I managed to get one of my arms free and I…I reached over to the vodka bottle on the coffee table and…smashed it…smashed it down on his head. I thought he was going to kill me, it was all I could do. I…I just wanted to get away; I didn't want to hurt him. I…just wanted…to escape." Emma said between sobs.

"Louise can you go and get us some tea?" Doug said moving his chair round the table so he was sitting next to her. He let Emma fall into him and he just held her stroking her hair for a few minutes. "You said you wanted to escape. What did you mean by that?" Doug asked once she had dried her tears.

"I didn't know what he was going to do to me. I just wanted to get out of the house but I also wanted to escape from him abuse. I don't want to become a statistic, another beaten wife, another one of Matt's victims." She said sighing.

Louise re-entered the room and passed Emma a cup of tea. "One thing Emma." She said chewing her lip thoughtfully. "You mentioned the vodka bottle on the coffee table, why would it be there?"

"Matt must have left it there from earlier. We usually keep it at the back of the drinks cabinet. I don't usually drink vodka, Matt does more than I do." Emma said quietly.

"Do you think Matt had been drinking?" Louise asked quickly.

"Yes, when he arrived back he was slurring his words and he smelled of vodka. The bottle was lying on the coffee table with about a quarter of it gone. It had been unopened the night before." She said realising what they were getting at. "He's always more violent when he's drunk anyway." She added looking down at the table.

"Okay Emma. You're done for now." Doug said stopping the tape. "Come on, I'll take you back through." He walked with Emma back through custody and made sure she was sitting down in her cell before he locked the door.

She tried to hold in the tears but against her will they began to drop down her cheeks. She flopped down on to her side and pulled her knees up to her chin. She just wanted someone to hold her and tell her it would all work out fine. She wanted Will.

Will meanwhile was trying to trace the 999-phone call. He sat back in his chair and rubbed his eyes sleepily before going back to watching the CCTV. He'd established that the call had been made from the phone box on the corner of Matt and Emma's street. He saw a woman with dark hair approach the call box and then she around. "Nina?" Will said frowning.

He quickly recovered her phone number from his mobile and called her, asking her to come to the station.

"Nina come in here please." Will said guiding her towards the soft interview room. "I know you phoned 999 for Emma, what did you hear to make you do that?" He asked her looking at her pale complexion.

"I went round to check that Emma was okay. I mean it took me several attempts to get away from Matt. Each time he got angrier and hit me harder. I didn't want that to happen to Emma. I…I went round but when I got to their house I could hear Matt shouting and then there was a bang and Emma screamed, she was crying and he was still yelling so I phoned the police from the call box. I didn't know what else to do. Why? What's happened now?" Nina asked anxiously.

"Matt's in hospital after being hit over the head with a vodka bottle and Emma's in a cell facing an attempted murder charge." Will said gritting his teeth.

"Can I get someone to take your statement?" Will asked. "It will help Emma it may even change the result if it goes to court. Please this is Matt we're talking about. If he isn't stopped now, who knows what he'll do next!" Will added seeing Nina's expression.

"Yeah, sure." Nina said leaning back into her chair.

"I've gotta be interviewed now." Will said turning and walking from the room.

"Will can you tell me what happened when you returned to the station after dropping Emma off home." Doug said leaning forwards.

"Well I was doing some paper work when I heard about a domestic. I remembered that it was Emma's address and I assigned myself and Smithy to it." Will said thinking to himself.

"And what happened when you got there?" Doug asked.

"Well Smithy and I got out of the area car and we proceeded into the house. We searched all the other rooms downstairs before continuing to the living room. There we saw Emma curled up in a corner crying and Matt sprawled across the floor. There was glass everywhere and most of the books on the bookshelf were on the floor. I waited until the medics arrived and then I took Emma back to the nick." Will finished, looking back up at Doug and Louise.

"Okay Will, you can go." Louise said and she waited until he was out of the door before speaking again. "I think all of their stories tally up and that warrants Matt's arrest don't you think?" She said smiling at Doug.

Over at the hospital Gina took great pleasure in cuffing Matt and saying, "Matthew Hinckley I'm arresting you on suspicion of assault and abuse. You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence**."**

**Go ahead and try  
Try to look me in the eye  
But you'll never see inside  
Until you realise  
Thing are trying to settle down  
Just trying to figure out  
Exactly what I'm about  
If it's with or without you  
I don't need your doubt in me**

**Longest chapter I've ever written YAY! Only two more to go :) Please please please review cause it makes me happy and willing to write more quickly :P…thanks for reading xxpippaxx**


	6. How Does It Feel?

"So Matt, you are telling me that you had not been drinking, you did not push Emma into the bookcase and you were not shouting angrily at her." Gina said staring coldly at Matt.

"Yes!" Matt replied smugly.

"For the tape I'm showing the suspect items DC1 and DC2. The results of a blood test from the hospital showing that you had consumed four pints of beer and a significant amount of straight vodka before you were found." Gina said producing two sheets of paper and waving one under Matt's nose. Matt's smug smile faltered slightly as he heard what she had to say.

"Now showing the suspect item DC2, a photograph of a pile of books with Emma's blood on them. How do you explain this Mr Hinckley?" She said proudly displaying her evidence.

"The stupid cow shouldn't have been poking her nose into my past. I wish I had killed her, at least then she'd be getting what she deserves, nothing!" Matt said spitefully while getting to his feet and clenching his fists.

"Matthew sit down!" Gina said forcefully before continuing. "A final piece of evidence just to round it off nicely." She said placing Nina's signed statement in front of him.

"Not her too! I swear I'll get them, I'll get them both if it's the last thing I ever do!" Matt yelled getting to his feet and knocking his chair across the room.

"I think that's quite enough Mr Hinckley. Don't you?" Gina said smiling sweetly at him.

Smithy sat slumped across the custody desk; it had been a very long day. Gina came and sat next to him and they both watched Matt being marched back to his cell by Dan and Rodger with big smiles of satisfaction on their faces.

"So…what does that mean?" Smithy asked turning to face Gina.

"That…that means that Emma won't be up on an attempted murder charge. Matt will be charged with ABH and abuse and hopefully Emma will be able to file for a divorce quickly. Then maybe she and Nina can finally get some closure on this." Gina said sighing happily at the thought.

"Well in that case, I think Emma has spent far too much time in that cell. What's say we go get her?" Smithy said brightly.

"You go fetch her and I'll find Will." Gina said over her shoulder as she headed over to the door. Smithy nodded and made his way in the direction of the cells.

"Emma if you'd like to come with me." Smithy said standing in the doorway looking over at her curled up figure. Emma looked up at him nervously before she slid her legs over the side of the bed and walked towards him.

"Am…am I being questioned again?" She asked chewing her lip as though to try and stop it wobbling. Smithy ignored her question and led her back through into custody.

"Emma. I'm so pleased to see you! Isn't this great?" Will said rushing over to her once she entered custody.

"What? What's going on?" Emma said timidly, looking from Will to Smithy and back to Will.

"Matt's getting charged, you're free to go. There is no longer a case on you. It's over babe." He said taking her hands in his.

"It's…it's really over." Emma stuttered before collapsing. Will felt her slip and caught her; he picked her up and walked across to the seats. Once Emma was settled on his lap he sent Smithy to find the FME.

Emma blinked a few times and looked up at Will. "What happened?" She asked softly.

"You collapsed babe, I think it was shock but the FME's going to have a quick look at you to be sure." Will said stroking her hair while they waited.

"Okay Emma, everything seems fine. How are you feeling?" The FME said kneeling in front of her.

"Good thanks." She said managing a small smile.

"Will, I'm trusting you to take care of her. Just make sure she gets plenty of rest and eats properly. The rest of it's up to her although I hope she chooses to talk to you about it, if not you then a counsellor." The FME said while Emma was signing out her belongings.

"Come on toots, I'm taking you back to mine." Will said as he guided Emma out of custody and towards his car. Again Emma smiled, usually that kind of statement from Will would be dripping with innuendo but now…he just wanted to do the best for her. She knew he was the right person to be with now.

He held her hand as they walked up the stairs to the flat he shared with Dan. They walked into his bedroom and he told her he'd be right back.

"Hey Dan, Emma's going to be staying here for a while. Matt's been charged." He added seeing the confused look on his face.

He fetched a glass of water from the kitchen and then wandered back into his room to find Emma huddled up at the bottom of the bed. He pulled out a t-shirt and a pair of pyjama bottoms and put them on the bed next to her. He then gently loosened her trainers and pulled them off along with her socks. He unzipped her jeans and slid them down too. Then he replaced them with pyjama bottoms before helping her sit up and rolling her t-shirt up over her head and tugging down his one to cover her up.

He then picked her up and slid her under the duvet covers. He picked up all of her clothes and folded them neatly before placing them on the chair and getting changed himself.

Walking over to the bed, he gently kissed Emma on the forehead before turning to leave. Before he could do so though, he felt her hand slide into his and pull him back over to the bed.

"Don't leave me, please." She whispered urgently, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I wouldn't dream of it baby." He replied climbing into bed beside her, putting his arms around her protectively. She relaxed and cuddled into him before falling into a much needed sleep.

He sighed happily. Although she was broken, she was beginning to repair herself and if she would allow it he would be more than happy to be the glue holding her all together.

**I'm young, and I am free  
But I get tired, and I get weak  
I get lost, and I can't sleep  
But suddenly, suddenly**

**How does it feel, to be different from me?  
Are we the same?  
How does it feel, to be different from me?  
Are we the same?  
How does it feel?  
**

**ONE MORE CHAPTER TO GO…PLEASE REVIEW I LIKE REVIEWS…THEY MAKE ME FEEL LIKE WRITING MORE SOON HINT HINT HINT XXPIPPAXX **


	7. I Can Do Better

"How are you feeling?" Will asked Emma getting up off a bench and walking towards her. He engulfed her in a hug and rubbed her back soothingly.

"Sick, tired…scared." She replied softly, tightening her grip on his shirt. Although she hated to admit it, she was terrified of seeing Matt again. The thought of it put her in a cold sweat and she was now shaking at the prospect of seeing her ex-husband.

She was called on to give evidence, to tell everyone the details of her unhappy marriage. She took the oath and stepped shakily into the box. Her gaze rose to see Matt's angry face so she averted her eyes to find Will smiling encouragingly at her.

"You claim to have been abused by your ex-husband for several months. Do you object to telling us about this abuse?" The judge asked.

"No your honour." Emma replied nervously.

"Would you please tell the court how frequently it occurred and what usually happened." The judge said.

"We didn't really see much of each other during the day despite working in the same building so the abuse always took place at home. It happened most days, if he really hurt me then it could be a few days in between but that was pretty rare for him to have any sympathy with me. He would normally start by saying things about me or my friends and if he didn't get the reaction he wanted then he'd get angry…very angry." Emma told the court.

"What happened when he got angry?" The judge asked.

"Sometimes, on a good day an apology would be enough to make him stop shouting. Other times thought, especially if he'd been drinking he…he would hit me. It would usually end with me on the floor covered in cuts and bruises and then he'd storm off to the pub. Sometimes I'd just clean myself up and go to bed but occasionally I couldn't do anything or I was too upset so I stayed with Will." Emma replied nervously.

"Will…Will Fletcher." The judge said reading over her notes. "What is your relationship with Will, I've heard it often caused arguments in your marriage."

"Oh…um Will and I are best friends. We had a fling about 6 months ago but nothing since." Emma said blushing slightly.

"So have you slept with Will?" The prosecution asked.

"I erm…what do you mean? I have been staying with him and his flatmate since Matt was arrested and I've been sleeping in the same bed as him 'cause the sofa's not that comfy. We haven't had sex for over 6 months thought, not since our fling." Emma replied now looking at her shoes and blushing furiously.

"I see." The prosecution replied, her smug grin disappearing.

Emma sat next to Will a while later, clutching his hand tightly. "You were brilliant babe." He whispered softly in her ear. Her shivers didn't go unnoticed. He put his hand on her lower back and he saw her blush. Maybe she did feel the same way after all…

"Will the foreman please read the verdict." The judge commanded.

"For the crimes of Actual Bodily Harm and abuse we find the defendant guilty." He read out.

"Oh Emma that's great." Will said hugging her into him. She dissolved into tears mumbling that she was so happy it was all over, that she was safe.

She dried her eyes and looked shyly back at Will before taking his hand in hers and getting to her feet. They left the courtroom together with Emma a lot happier than she had been in previous months.

They walked out of the building and along several streets before they reached Canley Park. Will let go of Emma's hand and wandered over to a park bench where he sat down. Emma followed him but instead of sitting down she stood in front of him. Will looked up into her eyes and laced his fingers through hers.

"I…um I…I love you." Emma said looking away quickly.

"Emma…I love you too." He replied pulling her gently down onto his knee. Leaning in to kiss her, he was surprised when she pulled back.

"I need time Will. I…I know I love you but I don't think I'm ready yet." She said beginning to cry.

"Shhh it's okay babe. I understand and when you're ready I'll be right here waiting. Baby it's all gonna be great, just you wait and see." He said wiping her tears away with his thumb.

"Thank you." Emma whispered closing the gap between herself and Will and planting a long lingering kiss on his lips.

"Mmmm…what was that for?" Will said cuddling her into him.

"A promise…of what's to come." She whispered in his ear, her breath tickling his neck and sending shivers down his spine.

He took her hand and lifted her to her feet before leading her towards the park exit. They passed some children they knew who were playing on the swings and had to endure the inevitable "Are you going out?" questions. When they finally said bye and made it to the exit Emma looked up at Will and asked where they were going.

"To the pub with all your friends to celebrate." He replied kissing her forehead.

Emma nodded and they walked over to the pub. When they got inside Emma was showered in hugs and kisses and to lots of cheers at the statement, "I'm fine thanks, now lets get wrecked!"

_Gina's POV:_

_She looks so happy. It's such a contrast to her behaviour a few months ago. Before the incident with Matt it was like she didn't exist. We barely saw her out of work and at work she was so quiet it was like she wasn't even there! Now though…she's only been back two weeks but the team really miss her on her days off. It's not like Honey's shoes could ever be filled but Emma could give it a damn good go! She's the life and soul of this party…and is it just me or does Will look very pleased with himself too?_

_Smithy's POV:_

_Trust her! Emma's been throwing malteasers at Will and trying to get them in his mouth; instead they've been landing in his drink or hitting his nose. Neither of them seem to care though as they're flirting like crazy across the table. Gina's dragged her away to find more booze. Will's staring after her like she's leaving and never coming back but he perks up when she blows him a kiss over her shoulder! How long's it gonna take for those two to finally get together? From what I've seen so far tonight, not long!_

_Will's POV:_

_She's gorgeous and it's definitely not the drink talking. Her shiny hair is bouncing round her shoulders and she fiddles with it until part of it's up in this cute little clip. She takes a tray of drinks from Gina and totters back to our table with it before sitting down on my knee. "I thought you wanted to take it slow." I say quietly to her._

"_I do, and this is the first step." She says softly before kissing me in front of everybody. A few of them whistle and clap but it doesn't seem to put her off. She runs her fingers through my hair before pulling away smiling._

"_I should kiss you when you're sober more often!" I say amazed at her. I love her, I'm glad she feels okay about everybody knowing; she's too good to be kept a secret._

_Emma's POV:_

_This moment is perfect so we take a picture. It comes out really well, the whole team is gathered round the table and everybody is smiling and laughing. It's not posed either, it just looks natural._

_I turn slightly on Will's knee and rest my hand on his face. I love him; this part of my life is set to be the best yet._

_I've let go of all the bitter thoughts and feelings. I don't want to have to think about Matt ever again, I have Will now. He makes me light up inside when he comes into the room. He loves me for me._

_Matt always said I couldn't do better, I guess I proved him wrong!_

**I hate you now  
So go away from me  
You're gone, so long  
I can do better  
I can do better  
Hey, hey you  
I found myself again  
That's why, your gone  
I can do better  
I can do better **

**FINISHED…WOULD STILL APPRECIATE THE REVIEWS THOUGH…CAN'T WAIT FOR WEDNESDAY/THURSDAY THEN WE GET TO FIND OUT WHAT REALLY HAPPENS LOL XXPIPPAXX  
**


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